"Normandie-Niemen". French regiment on the Russian front

Pilots of the 1st squadron "Rouen" of the air regiment "Normandie-Niemen" near the Yak-3 fighter. 1944

Creation of the Normandy

In 1942, General de Gaulle decided that French soldiers should fight on all fronts of the war, including the Russian front. It was decided to send French pilots to the USSR. In the spring of 1942, the Free French National Committee proposed that the Soviet government send a group of its pilots and aircraft mechanics to the front. Moscow agreed.

From the best pilots of the 1st fighter air group of the Free French Air Force, based at that time in Lebanon, at the Rayak air base, air group No. 1942 was created in September 3. Soon it was transformed into a squadron, which received the name Normandie at the request of the personnel . Therefore, in the future, the French often called themselves "rayaks". The battle cry "Rayaks, forward!" became a feature of the Normandy.

On November 25, 1942, an agreement was signed on the participation of French Air Force units in hostilities on the Russian front. The pilots were recruited from the British Air Force and the Ile de France fighter group located in the British Isles (the so-called "British"), as well as from the Alsace fighter group, which was located in North Africa (the so-called " Libyans). Through Iraq, French pilots were transferred to Iran (occupied by British and Russian troops), and from there on transport planes to the USSR. On November 29, the French landed at the airfield of the Northern city of Ivanovo. The squadron's personnel consisted of 72 French volunteers (14 pilots and 58 aircraft mechanics) and 17 Soviet aircraft mechanics.

Among the first to arrive were Major J. Pouliken and the chief of staff, Senior Lieutenant J. de Pange. The pilots mastered Soviet technology on the UT-2, U-2, and then on the Yak-7 and Yak-1 fighters. By order of the commander of the Red Army Air Force dated December 4, 1942, the Normandy squadron was included in the USSR Air Force. By the beginning of 1943, all Normans were flying yaks. The French planes were decorated with red stars, but between the propeller and the cockpit on both sides of each machine, three colored stripes were applied: blue, white and red - the colors of the national flag of France.

French pilots from the Normandie-Niemen squadron who fought the Germans on our front: junior pilot Joseph Rissot, lieutenant Derviov and lieutenant Noel Castelin. In the background is a Yak-1B fighter. June 1943

Fighter Yak-3 No. 24 junior lieutenant Jacques Andre of the Normandie-Niemen regiment in flight

At the front

In March 1943, the Norman squadron was considered combat-ready and sent to the front. 12 aircraft became part of the 1st Air Army. "Normandy" was subordinated to the commander of the 303rd Smolensk Fighter Division, and in its composition she later conducted her combat activities, based on the airfields of Vasilyevskoye, Khotenki, Spas-Demensk and Monastyrshchina.

On March 26, Lieutenants Durant and Derville drove off an enemy aircraft, marking the beginning of the squadron's combat activities. On April 5, the French covered the Soviet bombers. Two Yak-1 aircraft, piloted by Lieutenant Durand and Senior Lieutenant Preziosi, defeated two German FV-190s.

Since that time, the "Normans" began to regularly participate in air operations. On April 13, 1943, a second air battle took place in the area of ​​Spas-Demensk. Six fighters under the command of Major Tyulyan fought with nine German vehicles. The French shot down three enemy planes, but suffered heavy losses: pilots R. Derville, A. Poznansky and I. Bizien did not return that day. This was the first heavy loss of the French squadron. The "Normans" fought bravely, desperately, often to the detriment of the common cause, which led to heavy losses.

On July 5, 1943, the squadron was replenished and reorganized into the Normandy regiment, which already included four squadrons that bore the names of the four main Norman cities: Rouen, Caen, Le Havre and Cherbourg.

Pilots of the 2nd Le Havre Squadron of the Normandie-Niemen Air Regiment near the Yak-3 fighter. 1944

The French pilot of the Normandie-Niemen regiment and Soviet technicians are preparing the Yak-3 fighter for takeoff. The pilot in the photo is Lieutenant Roger Marquis

It is worth noting that, in addition to the native French, among the "Normans" there were also "French Russians" - the descendants of emigrants who left Russia after the events of 1917 or even earlier. Now the "French Russians" fought for their homeland. In particular, engineer and pilot Albert Mirles. It was he who began to form the core of the French squadron that would fight in Russia. Mirles pushed through the decision that the French would fight on Russian planes:

"If we are fighting for the USSR, then no British or American cars."

The "Normans" fought on the Kursk Bulge, liberated Belarus, fought in East Prussia. On November 28, 1944, for military merit and courage shown during air battles during the battles for the liberation of Lithuania and during the crossing of the Neman River, by order of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Stalin, the regiment was given the honorary name "Neman". It became known as the Normandie-Niemen Regiment.

During their stay on the Russian front from March 25, 1943 to May 9, 1945, the Normans made more than 5 sorties, conducted about 200 air battles, shot down 900 aircraft (another 273 victories were not confirmed) and damaged about 36 enemy aircraft. french aviation part lost 42 pilots.

Marcel Albert had the most air victories - 23. Jacques Andre shot down 15 enemy planes, Maurice Schall and Marcel Lefebvre - 10 each. For comparison: the best French ace of the Western Front Pierre Klosterman (fought for England in the Alsace group) shot down 19 planes.

By decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 19 and June 5, 1945, the regiment was awarded the Orders of the Red Banner and Alexander Nevsky. 96 Frenchmen were awarded 112 orders of the Soviet Union, and four were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (Marcel Albert, Rolland de la Pouap, Jacques Andre and Marcel Lefebvre). The French authorities awarded the regiment the Order of the Legion of Honor, the Order of the Liberation and the Military Cross 1939-1945.

On June 20, 1945, French pilots on 41 Yak-3 combat aircraft, which were donated by the USSR to France, flew to their homeland. In France, Yak-3 fighters were in service until 1947.

Yak-3 fighters of the 1st separate air regiment of the fighting France "Normandie-Niemen" at the airfield

The picture was taken after the end of the war at the Stuttgart airfield during the return of the regiment to France in June 1945. The stars on the tails of the aircraft have already been painted over, instead of them Lorraine crosses have been applied.

From the memoirs of Roland de la Poipa:

“Arriving in Stuttgart was great. The "Chief Vizier" General De Lattre de Tasigny met us as heads of state, surrounded by a "camp" of his Moroccans.
The 1st Alsace group was based in Stuttgart at that time, and for the first time we saw other French pilots, except for the Normandy, who looked at us with interest and our equipment, painted in a foreign way.
The yaks looked small and crude next to their all-metal Spitfires.
I quickly cooled them down.
"Guys, you'll be giggling after you see what he can do."
Marshi took to the air and showed such acrobatics that our colleagues, accustomed to Spitfires, opened their mouths and remembered it for a very long time ... "

Pilots of the 1st separate air regiment of the fighting France "Normandie-Niemen" and officers of the Soviet Air Force watching flights at the Le Bourget airfield. June 1945

Comments

[dauria]

Well, since the story .... There was another Yak in the Normandy regiment. Undeservedly forgotten "Douglasyonok". Yak-6

[Aviator_]

Undeservedly forgotten "Douglasyonok". Yak-6

Very much deservedly forgotten. Bad car, my father told me.

[dmi.pris1]

Samsonov pulled out with his terms, during the First World War. There was no Russian front in the Great Patriotic War. Even the French did not say that. Still, in March 43rd the Monastyrshchina was not liberated, only in the fall. Guards Smolenskaya. By the way, she later fought in Korea

[Alexey RA]

Quote: dmi.pris

Samsonov got with his terms, from the times of the First World War. There was no Russian front in the Great Patriotic War.

Say thank you that the front is Russian, not Eastern.

[kor1vet1974]

The film, "Normandie-Niemen", is much more interesting than the article.

[Boniface]

The book is amazing and the movie is based on the book!

[Ryaruav]

There is evidence that the French ditched more of our cars than they shot down the German ones, all officialdom must be double-checked

[WapentakeLokki]

including, following the results of the combat operations of the squadron (and then the regiment), Normandy France became part of the victorious countries in WW II ... on the part of the allies, I recall the tank unit of Leclerc (MAX, it’s the same regiment) .. if you look at the% composition of the French resistance (MAKI), then these are either Russian emigrants or Russian (Soviet) fugitive prisoners of war .. and now a historical background .. from the side of the III Reich, the Charlemagne division fought (it seemed like it sounded like Karl Charles Lemagne) the SS division by the way (and was formed by .t. but from volunteers) .. and now the question is - so on whose side did La Bella France fight in WWII ...

[Bulrumeb]

They forgot to add that it was the French SS men who were the last defenders of the Reichstag building.

[gsev]

Quote: Ryaruav

There is evidence that the French ditched more of our cars than they shot down the German ones, all officialdom must be double-checked

Even if they ruined 5 planes for one downed German, this would be a very profitable exchange. In terms of the number of downed German aircraft, the 1st separate fighter regiment of the Red Army "Normandy-Neman" was the most successful. It was a glorious page in French-Soviet cooperation.

[demiurg]

When I was still small, in the 70s, my parents lived in Galenki. And only recently I learned that the planes roaring in the air day and night over the town belonged to a unit with a very loud and long name:
18th Guards Fighter Aviation Vitebsk Twice Red Banner, Order of Suvorov and French Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor Regiment "Normandie-Niemen"

This air regiment also managed to fight in Korea.

[dmi.pris1]

By the way, the Normandy air regiment still exists in France. In the early 90s, they visited Smolensk several times at an air festival at their Mirages at the Severny airfield. Where Kachinsky later died with his shobla. There is a street in Smolensk named after the air regiment "Normandie-Niemen"

[Jager]

And in Paris there is an area of ​​the Battle of Stalingrad.

[Vsevolod136]

From de Gaulle's side, sending flyers to the Russian front is a successful propaganda move, given how many French atrocities were committed in the Charlemagne division.
This is without taking into account how France fell under the Germans.

[Bogalex]

Why commemorate the French who "fell under the Germans" in an article about those of them who not only did not fall under the Nazis, but also fought shoulder to shoulder with our grandfathers?

[Jager]

Our people are grateful to EVERYONE who brought Victory closer - to an American with an Englishman who died on transport under German torpedoes on the way to Arkhangelsk and to a French pilot. And the Spanish volunteer Ruben Ibarruri, who died near Stalingrad. And many others, unknown.

[Catfish]

There is an absolutely magnificent, in my opinion, film "Normandie-Niemen" (1960 USSR - France).
I am now reviewing it with unflagging interest, if anyone has not seen it, I strongly advise you to look.
Shot from the movie

At the presentation of Soviet awards to French pilots.
Lieutenant Marcel Benois (left) addresses Lieutenant Marquis de Villemont: "Marquis Hero of the Soviet Union, have you ever seen such a thing"
True, Benois then also appropriated the Hero. As it was written in the squadron log - "Benoit shot down nine Fritz, and you can't count how many girls." French people.

Photos of real pilots

[Givi_49]

This photo is from a film made by Gerard Depardieu.

[Alf]

Somewhere I read an official document that characterizes the French pilots of Normandy. It is written like this - pilot training is excellent, combat skills are excellent, group flight is low, in battle everyone fights for himself, often they are more addicted to chasing downed ones than escorting bombers.

[Glagol1]

We remember this page of history, but in France they definitely don’t. Soon their schools will teach children about WW2, that Russia attacked Europe, and Hitler tried to save her, Europe.

[Force multiplier]

Pilots were recruited from the RAF and the Île de France fighter group located in the British Isles ... as well as from the Alsace fighter group, which was located in North Africa

Not only. There were also former Vichy pilots in the Normandy who had applications (not groundless) for English aircraft (Delfino, Lemar)

our colleagues, accustomed to Spitfires, opened their mouths and remembered it for a very long time ... "

Quite possibly. Spitfire is a very mediocre aircraft, thanks to English propaganda, probably the most overrated of all WWII fighters. Unless a slightly less miserable P-47 can compete for this title

[Alf]

Quote: Force Multiplier

Spitfire is a very mediocre aircraft,

In what?

[Force multiplier]

Like a fighter.
Summer 1940 - Hurricanes pilots claim more. Yes, there were more. But there is an example of VIII FC in early 1944 when P-51 pilots, while still outnumbered by P-47s, claimed more.
1941-1943 - The British themselves recognize the superiority of German fighters, although they believe that the Mk.IX corrected the situation. Only in fact the situation was corrected by the arrival of American four-engine bombers, which occurred at the same time (from August 1942 on the rise)
Soviet-German front - Spitfire did not prove itself in any way
Australia too
Burma - without battles but without much success
Africa and the Mediterranean - huge losses in Malta. Epic attempts to intercept German intelligence over Alexandria.
The American fighter group remaining in Europe switched from fives to P-47s from the spring of 1943
Two American fighter groups in the Mediterranean - did not achieve much success and, at the first opportunity, got rid of eights and nines in the spring of 1944, which in itself is significant
Both in Europe and in Africa, they tried to compensate for the shortcomings with tactics. Climb higher in advance and attack fighters trying to intercept bombers or IS. The same "hit-and-run" tactic that the British, in their style, attributed to the Germans. But. Even this did not guarantee success due to the unfortunate placement of weapons. Cannon stops after a few shots are very often mentioned in reports.
Like IS - relatively small payload mass and radius + vulnerability
As a scout, he is quite successful, but twin-engine vehicles are generally preferable
The fact that the British had nothing better, yes

[Zug]

Yes, a comrade writes just to write a thread. In an interview, a veteran fighter who flew on a dream spoke of him as a magnificent car.

[Zug]

Why are the R-47 and Spitfire mediocre planes? According to our pilot, Sleeping is a great car. prepare.

[Force multiplier]

Spitfire - I write above that the Americans abandoned the "magnificent" nines by the second half of 1944. In the USSR they were kept in 1944-45 in the air defense along with Hurricanes and P-40s.
Thunderbolt - having appeared in the VIII FC in the spring of 1943 (without fish) as a fighter, it was almost completely replaced in the VIII FC by the end of 1944, and by the end of the war one group remained. And already by February-March 1944, the bulk of applications in the VIII FC were made by P-51 pilots (despite the fact that the P-51 first appeared there in December 1943). In the Mediterranean at 15 VA since the summer of 1944 only P-51 and P-38. Thunderbolt is only like IS in Italy.
With the complete failure of the P-47 as a fighter, it was forced to be used as an IS (the RAF did the same with the Typhoon). As an IS, he also showed himself poorly - heavy, clumsy and very vulnerable to fire from the ground (no matter what they said about this in books "about airplanes" after the war). Therefore, already in Korea, the P-51 was used as an information security, but also without much success

[Zug]

P47, as an accompanying person for strategists, should work at an altitude of 10 thousand and not like ours, in the north, as a battle fighter at medium and low altitudes. R-51 was also not a camilleaux at lower altitude. And he sleeps ... well, am I from a veteran, that I flew and retell them, in comparison with Soviet cars. He said so - Spitfire (I don’t remember which series) is a great car. Excellent. That’s why I read it because I sold it

[Force multiplier]

should work at a height of 10 thousand

In 1943, P-47s flew over Europe at 8500 m, bombers at 7000-5000 m. Yes, and tabular performance characteristics from tests always differ from reality. The P-47 dived well, but did not gain much height, after the first attack it lost its advantage. Plus a short range for an escort fighter. Therefore, the P-51 was quickly forced out over Europe and even faster in the Mediterranean. P-51 with Merlin is not without flaws, but due to the combination of characteristics was an outstanding fighter

[Zug]

I agree. But at least he managed at a height, and his high-speed ones at heights were not bad. It is clear that he was no match for p51, but he accompanied him not badly. Yes, and p51 before Merlin was nothing of himself

[iouris]

Not on the "Russian Front", but on the Eastern Front (for the "West"), but for us there is only one front - the front.

[Chervony Biker]

nice good song...
By the way, in Paris there is a street "Heroes of Stalingrad"

[Givi_49]

Dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the Normandy squadron in the USSR.
On the first photo:
July 1944, air Dubrovka. 1st Squadron "Rouen". Standing from left to right are de La Puap, Bertrand, Faure, Albert (commander), Amarge, Kuffaut, Bagneres, Deschane. Sit Laurion, Marchy, de Saint Phalle, Iribarn, Kazanev, Roger Sauvage.

On the second photo:
June 1943, ae Khatyonki. Smokers: Joseph Risso, cigarettes Albert Durand, Noel Castelin.
Note - "Lieutenant Derviov" is Albert Duran in person, there was no Lieutenant Derviov in Normandy.

On the fourth photo:
July 1944, air Dubrovka. 2nd Squadron "Havre". Standing from left to right: de Faletan, Carbon, Laurent, de Saint-Marceau, Brie, Mourier (commander), Janelle, de Seine, Martin, Versini. Sitting: Feldzer, Verdier, Rissot, Menu, Delen, Le Bras.

In the fifth photo: the best aerobatic pilot of the Normandy-Niemen regiment, Roger Marchi, and not Mark, as many sources write.

Albert (Albert Lvovich) Mirles was never a pilot, not by age and not by specialty. In the organization of "Normandy" he played the most outstanding role!

On the sixth photo: June 19, 1945 ae Stuttgart (Germany), presentation of the regiment to General de Lattre de Tasigny. In the sky, as always in such cases, Roger Marchi.

In the seventh photo: June 20, 1945. ae Le Bourget, in the sky again Roger Marchi.
In the ranks, next to Major Matras, with a huge bouquet - Sergey Davidovich Agavelyan - chief engineer of the Normandie-Neman regiment - tomorrow he will receive his Order of the Legion of Honor.

There were also such people in the Normandy who arouse special sympathy, these are our former compatriots:

Alexander Georgievich Stakhovich, a Russian aristocrat, got to the Normandy through aristocratic channels through Jean de Pange, provided translation for French mechanics, and returned to France with them. Once, while flying on a regimental transport Yak-6, he looked out the window and said: “Once this land belonged to my family. But now it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that my Motherland seems to be winning this war.”

Michel (Mikhail Romanovich) Shik, was born in St. Petersburg, in the Normandy from the first day, was an interpreter, communications pilot (flyed the U-2), mastered the Yak fighter, fought in the 3rd squadron "Cherbourg" (! ).

Georges (Georgy Yakovlevich) Lebedinsky, a doctor, vaccinated everyone against all possible infections, monitored nutrition, flew out to confirm those shot down (he was apparently afraid to fly, but did not show it, which was highly appreciated by the pilots in a friendly humorous form, for example: "today a doctor, even more aviation than ever, arrives on the Yak-9 with a major," etc.).

Anatole (Anatoliy) Koro, a native of Irkutsk, probably made the longest journey to the Normandy. Doctor of Economics, a top manager of the Singapore branch of one of the French banks put on pause his brilliant business career to join Normandy. (I requested the Irkutsk archive to search for his patronymic, but no records were found in church books. It is possible that the Russified, but not Orthodox French were taken into account in some other way, in addition to the Orthodox Church). Tolya, a businessman, quickly established food in Normandy (talks about the fact that buckwheat - bird food stopped forever, with his light hand the Russian word "Stalovaya" (Stalovaïa) came into use, after the war he returned to business and managed some then a film studio in the Middle East.

Pol (Pavel Sergeevich) Pistrak, translator, aircraft controller. As a rule, all the time he was in the radio car at the front, from where he aimed pilots in the air at targets. The pilots noted his calm, intelligible voice, which inspired confidence in the pilots even in the hottest moments of air battles.

Igor (Vsevolodovich) Eichenbaum, fluent in Russian, French and German, translator, aircraft controller, including in combat formations of armored forces, which were covered from the air by the Normandy-Neman regiment in East Prussia, an unsurpassed organizer of spontaneous and planned holidays with strong drinks .

Konstantin Felzer, pilot. He was shot down, the wounded was taken prisoner, survived thanks to the great and mighty Russian language, and was not shot on the spot, like a Frenchman. He escaped from captivity, reached France and met the Normandie-Niemen at Le Bourget.

Leon (Rostislav Lvovich) Ugloff, pilot. He fought in the regiment for the last six months. In 1947 he died in a plane crash.

[Guran33 Sergey]

The title is strange - in the Second World War there was no "Russian front"

[gsev]

Quote: Guran33 Sergey

The title is strange - in the Second World War there was no "Russian front"

Before going east, Hitler and Goebbels forbade calling the new enemy Russians. All the same, any European army ended a series of wars with Russia almost always with a crushing defeat. And in the spring of 1939, the Nazis in Spain managed to defeat the Red Army, which apparently determined Hitler's decision to attack Poland. It was after World War 2 that the army of the USSR ceased to be attributed in terms of combat effectiveness to 5-8th place somewhere after Poland and Japan.

[Guran33 Sergey]

Vladimir and here these? Or do you know the "Russian front" and where did he fight then? Franco defeated the "red republican army" in Spain, but the Red Army, unlike the Wehrmacht, did not specifically participate there due to the impossibility of logistics to Spain (lack of the required number of transports and convoy guard ships). Something everyone is not too lazy to rewrite history for themselves.